Très Parisien, 1926, No. 2, Pl. 2: Créations Lucien LELONG - CORNEBICHE 1926

Editor: So, this watercolor illustration, "Très Parisien, 1926, No. 2," showcases designs by Lucien Lelong. It feels very much of its time, doesn't it? All clean lines and almost...reserved, despite being fashion-forward. What catches your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: What immediately stands out to me is how this image operates as a kind of social document. It’s not just about selling dresses, it's about selling an *image* of Parisian modernity. The Art Deco aesthetic, seen in the geometric patterns and streamlined figures, embodies a post-war desire for progress and sophistication, but also who had access to it, and who was producing that representation. Who do you think the target audience for this type of illustration would have been? Editor: I’d imagine wealthy women or those aspiring to that lifestyle, perhaps? Someone who followed Parisian fashion trends. Curator: Precisely. And think about the title itself, "Très Parisien" - Very Parisian. It’s explicitly linking these clothes to a certain idea of French identity. Consider how the institutional power of Paris as a fashion capital is being reinforced through images like these, disseminating ideas about taste and class. This also shows the rising significance of advertisement and art's interaction with commercial markets. Editor: So, it's more than just pretty dresses, it's about constructing a cultural narrative around Parisian chic. It makes you think about how fashion illustration played a role in shaping perceptions. Curator: Exactly. It demonstrates how taste and class are performative and directly shaped through marketing practices like this image from Lelong. Editor: It's really interesting to think about how art influences, and is influenced by, these wider social trends. Thank you!